1 of 20Maris Crane, ‘Frasier’
Maris Crane, ‘Frasier’
Grub Street Productions
Frasier’s brother Niles Crane talked about his wife, Maris, constantly. He made her out to be quite the piece of work, so it’s probably best that the audience never saw her. Nevertheless, she became an icon of the show.
2 of 20Dr. Richard Nygard, ‘Parks and Recreation’
Dr. Richard Nygard, ‘Parks and Recreation’
NBC
When Chris Traeger began going to therapy, he tapped Dr. Richard Nygard for help. He talked about his therapist constantly, and he even connected with some of Nygard’s other patients, but the famed doctor was never actually seen on screen.
3 of 20Edna, ‘Wings’
Edna, ‘Wings’
NBC
Edna might be the unseen character with the biggest impact. Though she wasn’t mentioned much on Wings, she dated Antonia and Roy, and she made for a fair amount of on-screen drama. An unseen icon, indeed.
4 of 20Vera Peterson, ‘Cheers’
Vera Peterson, ‘Cheers’
Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions
Norm’s wife, Vera, was talked about so much that it felt like she was a character. In one of the Thanksgiving episodes, Vera was shown with pie all over her face, but a true reveal never happened. When she was heard, she was voiced by George Wendt’s actual wife, Bernadette Birkett.
5 of 20George Steinbrenner, ‘Seinfeld’
George Steinbrenner, ‘Seinfeld’
NBC
Of course, Seinfeld had an unseen character. While George Costanza worked for the Yankees, the team’s then-owner, George Steinbrenner, was only seen from the back. The actual Steinbrenner filmed some scenes for a cameo, but they didn’t make it to air.
6 of 20Bob Scamano, ‘Seinfeld’
Bob Scamano, ‘Seinfeld’
NBC
George Steinbrenner wasn’t Seinfeld’s only unseen character. We also never got to see Bob Sacamano, the friend of Cosmo Kramer, who is mentioned often. Cosmo made him out to be quite the guy, though, so it’s a shame he was never met.
7 of 20Cousin Jeffrey, ‘Seinfeld’
Cousin Jeffrey, ‘Seinfeld’
NBC
And, of course, there was Cousin Jeffrey from Seinfeld. Jeffrey was heard of but never seen, much to the dismay of many audience members who got a kick out of the other characters’ descriptions of the man.
8 of 20Dr. Herb and Diane Roberta Urkel, ‘Family Matters’
Dr. Herb and Diane Roberta Urkel, ‘Family Matters’
Miller-Boyett Productions
Steve Urkel’s neighbors did not enjoy his company. The Winslows would’ve rather he spent more time with his own parents, but Dr. Herb and Diane Roberta Urkel were never seen on screen, so the audience never got to decide for themselves why Steve was with the Winslows so much.
9 of 20Ugly Naked Guy, ‘Friends’
Ugly Naked Guy, ‘Friends’
Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions
Ugly Naked Guy was talked about plenty in the first few seasons of the show. Part of his body was even seen when Ross went over to convince him to give him his apartment. But after he moved, Ugly Naked Guy was never heard of again.
10 of 20Mr. and Mrs. Gibbler, ‘Full House’
Mr. and Mrs. Gibbler, ‘Full House’
Jeff Franklin Productions
Kimmy Gibbler was another annoying sitcom neighbor who was never at her own house. The Tanner family often urged Kimmy to go home, but from the audience’s point of view, she didn’t have anyone to go home to because we never saw her parents.
11 of 20Lars Lindstrom, ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’
Lars Lindstrom, ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’
MTM Enterprises
Phyllis Lindstrom talked about her husband, Lars Lindstrom, in The Mary Tyler Moore Show enough for audiences to know he was a dermatologist, but he never showed his face on screen. Writers managed to keep him hidden in the spinoff Phyllis by killing him off at the start of the show.
12 of 20The Scranton Strangler, ‘The Office’
The Scranton Strangler, ‘The Office’
Deedle-Dee Productions
Did we never see the Scranton Strangler? The Office’s notorious serial killer was mentioned in various episodes, but he was never truly revealed. Many fans, however, theorize that either Toby or Creed was the criminal.
13 of 20Carlton, ‘Rhoda’
Carlton, ‘Rhoda’
MTM Enterprises
The world of The Mary Tyler Moore Show loves a good hidden character. In Rhoda, the doorman Carlton is never fully seen. Still, Carlton was a staple of the show, and he even inspired a song and a potential spinoff series. That’s power for an unseen character.
14 of 20President Hughes, ‘Veep’
President Hughes, ‘Veep’
HBO Entertainment
President Hughes, the man who made Selina Meyer vice president on Veep, was never actually seen on screen. It’s possible that you didn’t even notice, though, because the series never really made it a thing. There weren’t scenes where he was purposefully obfuscated.
15 of 20Stan Walker, ‘Will & Grace’
Stan Walker, ‘Will & Grace’
NBC
The only parts of Stan Walker ever seen on Will & Grace were his arms and silhouette. His wife, Karen, described him plenty, making the audience wonder how such an unfortunate looking man could be getting so much extra-marital action.
16 of 20Wilson W. Wilson, ‘Home Improvement’
Wilson W. Wilson, ‘Home Improvement’
Wind Dancer Productions
Okay, Wilson W. Wilson of Home Improvement was sort of seen, but he was mostly unseen. The top half of his face popped up over the fence, but that’s all audiences ever saw of him. It made very little sense, but it was a great gag.
17 of 20Mrs. Wolowitz, ‘The Big Bang Theory’
Mrs. Wolowitz, ‘The Big Bang Theory’
Chuck Lorre Productions
Howard’s mother, Mrs. Wolowitz, was never totally seen on The Big Bang Theory. Her voice was heard plenty, and we got glimpses of certain parts of her body, but she, in her full glory, was never fully shown.
18 of 20The Gooch, ‘Diff’rent Strokes’
The Gooch, ‘Diff’rent Strokes’
Tandem Productions
Arnold talked about The Gooch, his bully at school, often on Diff’rent Strokes, but the kid was never seen. The Gooch’s real name was never revealed, either, truly making him the stuff of legends.
19 of 20Craig’s Mother, ‘Malcolm in the Middle’
Craig’s Mother, ‘Malcolm in the Middle’
Fox
Craig talked about his mother a lot throughout the course of Malcolm in the Middle, and she does eventually have a reveal. However, it’s just a picture of her, and it’s just David Anthony Higgins (Craig) in a wig and a dress. It’s a little disappointing, but it is funny.
20 of 20Juanita Beasley, ‘The Andy Griffith Show’
Juanita Beasley, ‘The Andy Griffith Show’
Danny Thomas Enterprises
Juanita Beasley was never seen on The Andy Griffith Show, but she was talked about quite a bit. Deputy Barney Fife talked with her on the phone, always scheduling dates with her. Who would’ve thought the unseen character trope would continue into modern sitcoms?
